In the field of air navigation, a computer-implemented method includes loading an initial active flight plan for an aircraft comprising a first approach procedure to a runway up to a missed approach point ending between the missed approach point and a final point; loading a secondary flight plan comprising an approach procedure to the runway between the missed approach point and the runway, and a second missed approach procedure at the end of the approach, and ending at a second final point; receiving an instruction from an operator of the aircraft to link the initial active flight plan and the secondary flight plan; in the event of a go-around by the operator at the latest at the missed approach point, activating the missed approach procedure; otherwise, automatically selecting the secondary flight plan as active flight plan and activating the second approach.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method implemented in a Flight Management system (FMS) of an aircraft, the FMS comprising one or more databases, wherein said method comprising: loading an initial active flight plan for an aircraft comprising a first approach procedure to a runway up to a missed approach point (MAP), and a missed approach procedure between said missed approach point (MAP) and a final point; loading a secondary flight plan comprising a second approach procedure to the runway and a second missed approach procedure, said second approach procedure being between the missed approach point (MAP) and the runway and following the first approach procedure, and said second missed approach procedure starting at an end of said second approach procedure and ending at a second final point; receiving an instruction from an operator of the aircraft to link the initial active flight plan and the secondary flight plan, said link consisting of an association between the active flight plan and the secondary flight plan, allowing automatic selection of one or the other; automatically selecting the secondary flight plan as active flight plan when no go-around maneuver takes place at or before the missed approach point and when a go-around is triggered by the operator at a latest at said missed approach point, activating said missed approach procedure of the initial active flight plan; and wherein the method comprises converting, by the FMS, the activated approach procedure or the active flight plan into a trajectory to be followed by the aircraft.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising, if a go-around occurs during a predetermined period after passing the missed approach point, automatically selecting the initial flight plan as current flight plan, and activating said missed approach procedure.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the method comprises transmitting a guidance instruction for guiding the aircraft to follow a flight plan, and wherein in response to the automatic selection of the secondary flight plan as active flight plan, the guidance instruction to follow said active flight plan is maintained active during said predetermined period.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the aircraft having a roll rate, and wherein the roll rate of the aircraft is limited to a predefined roll rate during said predetermined period.
5. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising, when the secondary flight plan is selected as active flight plan, inserting a segment having a navigation segment type Direct to Fix (DF) to a first waypoint of the second approach procedure.
6. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising, if a go-around occurs after said predetermined period after passing the missed approach point (MAP), activating the second missed approach procedure.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary flight plan is established manually by the aircraft operator during a flight phase.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aircraft operator sends, to the flight management system of the aircraft, a request to automatically obtain the secondary flight plan, and wherein: the flight management system generates a plurality of candidate secondary flight plans: starting at the missed approach point (MAP); and passing through the runway; and ending at said second final point; and the operator selects said secondary flight plan from among said candidate secondary flight plans.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the flight management system of the aircraft converting, when one of the initial flight plan and the secondary flight plan is activated, said flight plan into a trajectory, and one action at least from among sending one or more guidance instructions to follow said trajectory to an autopilot and displaying the trajectory to the aircraft operator.
10. A computer program comprising program code instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said program code instructions being configured, when said computer program runs on a computer, to execute the method as claimed in claim 1.
11. A flight management system for an aircraft, comprising computing means configured to execute the method as claimed in claim 1.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 28, 2021
May 27, 2025
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.